It may not be reproduced in any way without my written consent.

Carte de Visite or CDVs (ca 1859)

CDV stands for carte de visite, a photographic calling card. The CDV
process, which began in France in 1854, involved a special camera that
produced eight poses on one negative. The CDV quickly replaced the old
glass images of the ambrotypes, producing a card the size of the then
standard calling card, around 2.5 by 4".

The CDV’s albumen process produced a negative from which any number of
prints could be made - and on early CDVs it was important for the
photographer to note that more prints were always available.

CDVs arrived in the United States around 1859, on the eve of the Civil
War (1861-1865) during which demand skyrocketed as soldiers and their
loved ones sought an affordable image remembrance. Many people began
collecting portraits of political figures, actors and actresses, Civil
War generals, as well as family and friends. Special photo albums were
designed especially for cartes-de-visite.

In the United States, the carte-de-visite played second fiddle to
cheaper variations on the daguerreotype theme. Thus the early CDVs are
rather uncommon.
CDV with square corners pre 1872 CDV with rounded corners after 1872. Jemima Van Slyke<
CDV with corners
cut to fit album. You must use fashion clues, revenue stamps or
photographer logo or name to date the photograph

November 28, 2014

The Tiny Portrait
by Heidi Carla is a wonderful children's book about a brother and sister who find a family treasure in their attic. Tess finds a cased portrait of a young woman with her dog, labelled "Lottie & Pearl" When the portrait begins to fade, Tess and her brother Toby decide they need to find out who Lottie was. Their first clue is the year "1890" on the photograph and then Tess finds Lottie's diary.

Then Tess begins to see Lottie everywhere she goes - a shadowy figure who seems to lead the children to places they need to go to find the answers. The children embark on a journey of discovery - not only finding out who Lottie was but discovering that sometimes the greatest treasure of all is the memories the object invokes. Beautifully illustrated with sepia toned photographs done by the author's sister Karla Cinquanta, this book is an enchanting venture into the world of genealogy and early photography.

My 9 year old grandson looked through The Tiny Portrait and proclaimed it "very interesting" He liked that it was about (in his words) "Family trees" and he loved the photographs. He spent quite a bit of time poring over the illustrations and when I asked him what the appeal was, his answer was "I like the details"This book is a delightfully creative way for genealogists to introduce children or grandchildren to the world of genealogy. The Tiny Portrait
is available on Amazon.

November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving to all those in the United States who are celebrating this holiday today.I often wonder which of my American ancestors celebrated this special day with family.My last ancestor from USA (Levi Peer) left that country in 1801. Would he have celebrated with family? I don't know!

Last night we took our grandsons out for a "Festive Holiday Meal" here in Ontario Canada. We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in November. Ours is in October but one of our chain restaurants is offering Christmas (yes, Christmas!) meals now so that is what we had. I told the boys we were celebrating American Thanksgiving one day early.

November 26, 2014

Almshouse records are often overlooked in Genealogy Research but they can provide lots of great information on an ancestor. People were sent to almshouses for being poor, for not having a steady job or for other reasons.

November 25, 2014

Jane T. asked for help finding family to return a 1919 postcard and photo she recently purchased in an antique store. Here is her email

I found this photo post card in a store in Stirling, ON today. Written
on the back is "Kenneth Dean Ostrander, age 4 mos, 1919 Jan. To Myrtle
Hubbs from Vera" Would be great to reunite it with a family member.

Kenneth Dean Ostrander,age 4 mos, 1919 Jan. To Myrtle
Hubbs from Vera

Lorine's Note:

The 1921 census (free on Ancestry.com) shows a Kenneth Ostrander age 2 in
Hallowell Township, Prince Edward District, son of Harold and Vera
Ostrander. He has a brother Donald 8 months old. There
are also dozens of records in the 1940s and 1950s for a Dean Kenneth Ostrander born ca 1919 flying for KLM Airlines as a 2nd Officer.

It may not be reproduced in any way without my written consent.

Tintypes (circa 1855)

The Ferrotype process (tintypes) was introduced in the United States in
1855. It substituted an iron plate for glass and was even cheaper than
the ambrotype. Because tintypes were placed in albums along with CDVs,
they were often trimmed at the sides and corners. Tintypes were
produced in various sizes

November 23, 2014

Michael L. wrote to me about a cap badge he found many years ago. Here is Mike's story:

I am looking for descendants of a John Orr who served in WW1 and lived
in Oshawa in 1926. I have a hat badge that I recently traced to him and
would give it to a descendant of his. I found it in my
mothers’ garden around 1943.It is from the Canadian Highlanders Regiment. A few years ago I was curious and looked up who had lived in the house
before my parents moved in. John Orr was living there in 1926. Last year I found a
site with Attestation papers. I found John Orrs’ papers and he was in the Canadian
Highlanders. If you could find a relative that would be great to give
it to them.

I did some research and found the family in the 1881, 1891 and 1901 census for Wishaw,
Cambusnethan, Lanarkshire Scotland. His father was Andrew, his mother Helen and John had many older siblings.

John Orr Attestation Paper front

I was able to put together a family grouping of:

Father: Andrew Orr born ca 1849 Liberton Lanarkshire

Mother: Helen born ca 1851 Stonehouse Lanarkshire

Children:

Marion b ca 1875

Adam b ca 1877

James b ca 1879

Elizabeth b ca 1881

Janet b ca 1884

Mary b ca 1886

Andrew Jr. b ca 1889

John b. ca 1891

I have not done any more research to find John Orr after his enlistment in the CEF in 1914 but he might appear in the 1921 Canadian census and on a ships passenger list arriving in Canada between 1901 and 1914.

If any of my readers want to help find descendants so the cap badge could be returned to family, please leave responses as a comment on this blog. If you have information on living descendants it will not be published online but I will pass it on to Mike L. What a terrific thing if we can send this cap badge to family!

November 22, 2014

Genealogists will be disappointed to learn that Photoduplication Services provided by FamilySearch are being discontinued as of December 5, 2014. As of this date, existing orders will be completed, but new orders will not be accepted.

This would be the time for someone living in the Salt Lake City area and looking to make some extra money to step in and offer to retrieve documents for a reasonable fee. I know I'd use their services. I realize films can be ordered in to a nearby Family History Center and that's great if you live near one or are physically able to get out to one. I am one of those who can't access one.Hopefully the termination of this service won't be too much of a negative impact on researchers but I for one will be sorry to see it go.

November 21, 2014

This Photo Archive
consists of a small autograph album (6.5" by 5.25") kept by Constance
(Connie) Philips as a memento of her time serving as a nurse during
World War One.

The majority of the photos and items are from 1915, when she served as a nurse in France and Britain. The album and all
photographs, postcards, and other ephemera contained in the album belong
to Karin Armstrong and may not be copied or republished without her written
permission. The images will be published on Olive Tree Genealogy with
permission.

Each
image has been designated an "R" for Recto or a "V" for Verso plus an
album page number. Recto is the right-hand side page of a bound book
while Verso is the left-hand side page.

I
will be posting the entire album and my additional research on the
individuals identified in Connie's album over the coming months so
please check back frequently to view these historic photos. The easiest
way to see what has been published is to click on the topic "Nursing Sister WW1 Photos" in the vertical menu bar on the right side of your screen. You can also click on that phrase at the bottom of this post.

November 20, 2014

I've been working on a project called Immigrants proceeding to Upper Canada via New York 1817-1819

Pass #17236 George Underhill, Shropshire, butcher

I have
extracted the names and basic information for each of the 199 people who applied for passes to leave New York and enter Upper Canada (present day Ontario) The actual passes contain more information including age,
place of origin, occupation, how many in family and sometimes detailed
notes about the immigrant.

If this were your ancestor you would use the Canadiana.org link above and enter 17266 into the search engine on that site. You can see his pass above. [Source: Upper
Canada Sundries, Reference: RG 5 A1, Volume 37, passes numbered
17228-17578, microfilm: C-4601. Civil Secretary's Correspondence -
Passes signed by British Consul, New York, for Emigrants from Great
Britain, 1817-1819. Microfilm available at Canadiana.org but it is not indexed]

November 19, 2014

The British Bonus was a commission paid by the Canadian government's
Immigration Branch to steamship booking agents in the United Kingdom and
in European countries for each suitable immigrant who purchased a ticket
to sail to Canada. The immigrants themselves did not receive the bonus,
although those who settled on western homesteads did receive a separate
monetary bonus upon proof of settlement.

As such, the "British Bonus" was a subtle marketing tool used by the
Canadian
government; it served to encourage steamship booking agents to recruit
desirable settlers (farmer, domestics, etc.). The laws of the time in
many European countries forbade open encouragement of immigration by any
foreign country.

The British Bonus came into effect through the passage of an
Order-in-Council on September 27, 1890. It provided the following
provisions.

To pay a limited amount, not exceeding in any case $50.00, to the class of "returned men" (not exceeding fifty) to Europe toward
recouping their expenses on sufficient proof furnished of success in bringing immigrants to Canada.

To pay a bonus to Steamship Agents in the United Kingdom, of
$5.00 for each adult settler on land, of 18 years and over, on
certificate of booking and shipping such settler to Manitoba, the
Northwest Territories of British Columbia, and, on certificate of a
Dominion Lands Agent, to be furnished as proof of such settler.

To pay a bonus of $10.00 to each homesteader, the head of a
family, and $5.00 for each member of such family at the adult
age of 12 years and over, with an additional $5.00 to any such member
of a family who might within six months after arrival in Canada
become a homesteader on settlement on land in Manitoba, the Northwest
Territories of British Columiba, proof being furnished of such
settlement by the certificate of a Dominion Lands Agent.

While the arrangement above was in place, many suggestions were received
by the Department recommending that the regulations be altered so that a
bonus would be payable when the immigrant arrived in Canada instead of
when he took up land. It was finally agreed to pay of bonus of $1.75 on
adults and half that amount on children from the British Isles arriving
in
Winnipeg, Manitoba. This system remained in effect until April 1, 1906
with the exception that in later years it applied to immigrants to
eastern
as well as Western Canada. In the year 1904-05, 146,266 immigrants
arrived at Canada of which the British bonus was paid on 28,835.

The stamp "British Bonus Allowed" was stamped against the name of
applicable passengers on manifests. Other, similar, notations included
"C.G.E.A. which was the abbreviation for the Canadian Government
Employment Agent (these agents received a commission from the government
for placing newly-arrived immigrants with employers who were seeking
labourers or domestics; and "Continental Bonus" which was
established in 1882 and were similar to the British Bonus but applied to
emigrants from the European mainland.

November 18, 2014

The letter details how Sgt Anthony Frederick Johnson, a member of the
Royal Canadian Air Force, went missing during an air operation in April
1943.

Signed by Wing Commander D.H. Burnside, of the No. 427
squadron, the letter tells the parents of Sgt Johnson that their son was
a popular figure and fast becoming an ace wireless operator.

The
wing commander writes: “On the night of April 16, at approximately nine
o’clock, Anthony and his crew took off from this aerodrome to carry out
a bombing attack over enemy territory and were due to return at four
o’clock in the morning.

“Unfortunately, the aircraft never returned and we have heard nothing from it or any member of the crew since time of take-off.” [Hexham Courant News]

Screenshot from Hexham Courant Article

The Courant has informed both the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the Library and Archives Canada, about the letter. The Courant hope to hear from descendants or anyone who has details about Sgt Johnson.Read more at Second World War letter found on village street in the Hexham Courant News

Lorine's Note: I believe this site has quite a bit of information on Sgt. Johnson but I am not a member. If any of my readers is a member it would be wonderful to know what details are found.

November 17, 2014

It may not be reproduced in any way without my written consent.

Daguerreotypes (ca 1839)

Photography arrived in the United States in 1839 thanks to Samuel F. B.
Morse, an American artist and inventor.
Morse visited Daguerre in Paris in March 1839 and observed a
demonstration of the daguerreotype process. He returned to the United
States to spread the news, and by the end of 1839 some larger cities on
the East Coast had very successful portrait studios.

6th plate Daguerreotype taken ca 1854

Ambrotypes (circa 1854)

The ambrotype was a glass negative backed with black material, which
enabled it to appear as a positive image. Patented in 1854, the
ambrotype was made, packaged, and sold in portrait studios as the
daguerreotype had been, but at a lower cost. The ambrotype produced a
single image on glass.

November 16, 2014

A femur found by chance on the banks of a west Siberian river in 2008 is that of a man who died around 45,000 years ago. Subjected to DNA testing, the genome contains traces from Neanderthals who just recently were found to have interbred with humans before disappearing. In fact Neanderthal DNA is found in all modern humans except Africans. Up to 4% of our DNA can be Neanderthal. I've had mine tested and it is over 3%. The bone found had tiny amounts of Neanderthal DNA but it was in relatively long strips, whereas Neanderthal DNA in modern human
genome has been cut up and dispersed in tiny sections as a result
of generations of reproduction.

This find is allowing scientists to work out a "calendar" of when Homo Sapiens headed into South Asia. The team calculates it was no more than 60,000 years ago.

November 15, 2014

Recently 57 century old graves were found when a church parking lot was dug up in Toronto Ontario Canada. The church was originally built in the Village of Weston in the 1850s. The coffins and grave markers date as far back as 1866. The church is St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church and so far no burial records have surfaced.

November 14, 2014

This Photo Archive
consists of a small autograph album (6.5" by 5.25") kept by Constance
(Connie) Philips as a memento of her time serving as a nurse during
World War One.

The majority of the photos and items are from 1915, when she served as a nurse in France and Britain. The album and all
photographs, postcards, and other ephemera contained in the album belong
to Karin Armstrong and may not be copied or republished without her written
permission. The images will be published on Olive Tree Genealogy with
permission.

Each
image has been designated an "R" for Recto or a "V" for Verso plus an
album page number. Recto is the right-hand side page of a bound book
while Verso is the left-hand side page.

I
will be posting the entire album and my additional research on the
individuals identified in Connie's album over the coming months so
please check back frequently to view these historic photos. The easiest
way to see what has been published is to click on the topic "Nursing Sister WW1 Photos" in the vertical menu bar on the right side of your screen. You can also click on that phrase at the bottom of this post.

November 13, 2014

Several years ago I wrote an article for publication in New Netherland Connections.
it was about my ancestor and 9th great-grandfather Jan Damen who left
Bunnik Netherland for the New World of New Netherland (present day New
York state) in the mid 17th century. Jan settled in Long Island New York and married Sophia (Fytie) Martens.

My article Jan Corneliszen Damen In
The New World was published on pages 47-56 of Volume 4, number 2 (May 1999) as a companion piece to another article called The Nephews of Jan Jansz Damen by Dorothy Koenig and Pim
Nieuwenhuis in Volume 4, Number 2 May 1999 pages 36-39.
The two nephews discussed were Jan Cornelisz Buys (aka Damen) who had three wives, 1)
Eybe Lubberts, 2) Phebe Sales, and 3) Willemptje Thyssen; and his
first cousin (my ancestor), Jan Cornelisz Damen, who married Fytje Martens.

I have decided to republish the first 3 pages of my article here on my Olive Tree Genealogy blog. I hope that descendants of Jan and other genealogists enjoy this story of Jan's life in New York. This is the last episode - Part 4, continuing on from Part 1, 2 and 3.

Jan Corneliszen Damen In
The New World

by Lorine McGinnis
Schulze

As John Damon [sic] and Seytie Damon
of Broockland [sic], Jan and Sophia conveyed land to Gerratt Middagh on 15
December 1693[1]
This was a small section of a larger portion of land at the Wallabout, which,
on 10 May 1695, "John Damon of
Wallabout and Fitie his wife" deeded to William Huddlestone of New
York. Jan and Sophia deeded all except the six acres which had previously been
deeded to Gerrit Middagh in 1693.[2] On 2 May 1696, William Huddlestone and his
wife Sarah deeded John Damon [sic] the same property described above.[3]
Jan was approximately 60 years of age and it is possible he was selling land
for money to support himself and Sophia.

Jan Damen
appears in the 1698 census for "Brookland" Kings County - with his
wife, four children and one slave[4]
That the Damen family owned slaves is also indicated by the town of Flatbush census for 1698 where
James Simpson, Jan's son in law, has four slaves. In this same census for the
town of Bushwick, Jan's sons-in-law Michael Parmentier and Pieter Uziele appear
- Michael owning two slaves and Pieter none.

In
1701 Jan and Sophia stood for the last time as baptismal sponsors - at
the christening of Jannetje, their granddaughter by their daughter Lysbeth Schermerhorn.[5]
Jan Damen voted at a town meeting in Flatbush, New York on 19 Jan. 1703, 1704
and again on 12 Aug. 1704.[6]
Between the summer of 1704 and the
spring of 1707 Jan died - his age somewhere between 69 and 72.

His was probated
on 20 June 1707 but he had died prior to 9 April 1707, as indicated in a deed
of that date made by Michael Parmentier and wife Neeltie Damen.[7]
This deed is very important in helping to determine the children of Jan Damen
and Sophia as it named the following sisters of Neeltie and their respective
spouses:

"Martha Simpson, of Flatbush; Pieter Uziell
and Cornelia, his wife, of Dutchess Co.; Samuell Phillips and Aelkie, his wife,
of New York; Lucas Skermorhorne and Elizabeth, wife, of Dutchess Co.; Frans
Konin and Selia, his wife, of Dutchess Co.; Philip Casier of Richmond Co. heir
to his mother Lyshie; Russia Damon of Flatbush; To Daniell Remsen; said Neltye,
Martha, Cornelia, Aelkie, Elizabeth, Selia, Lyshie and Russia being daughters
and co-heirs of John Damon [sic] late of Flatbush, deceased." [8]

[1] LISr: Book No. 2 of Conveyances, Brooklyn Kings Co.: p.
343 John Damon [sic] and Seytie Damon of
Broockland [sic], his wife, to Gerratt Middagh of same place, conveys lott of
ground greatt 3 morgan dutch measure, bounded East side by land of Garrett
Couwenhoven, on the other side after the land of John Damon, and before alongst
the meadow begining from a black oake tree from the side of Garrett Couwenhoven
towards said John Dimon [sic], in breadth 17 rod until it comes to three morgan
dutch measure, dated 15 Dec. 1693 - signed in the presence of Rutgard Huggen De
Kleuyn, Jacobus Vandwater. Rec'd Decr. 23, 1693. Henry Filkin, Justice

[2]ibid: p. 69 In
this deed both Jan and Sophia sign,
he by mark. Witnesses were Paul Richards, Manus Burger and Peter Ziene [sic] [This
is Pieter Uziele aka Ziele, who married Cornelia Janse and Fytie Damen] The deed was acknowledgedbefore Stephanus Van Cortlandt in New York,
29 May 1695, and recorded there June 11 by William Sharpas, Clerk and Rec'd in
Brooklyn, Aug 23, 1695 by Henry ffilkin, Reg.

[3] ibid: p. 93. Both
signed the deed. Witnessedby Thomas
Adams and Samuel Philips [Jan's son in law]. Acknowledged in New York before
William Beeckman, Justice, May 2, 1696 and in Brooklyn before Henry ffilkin,
May 2, 1696. Rec'd same day.

[8] Here is proof of
two daughters with the same name (Elizabeth or Lysbeth), one called Elizabeth,
the second Lyshie - both alive at the same time. Elizabeth was married to Lucas
Schermerhorn; Lyshie to Jan Casier. Frans Konin is Frans LeRoy - his French
name meaning "King" is recorded as the Dutch version of
"King" [Koning] Russia is the child baptised as Risjen. Martha is
Marte, who married first Jan Remsen and secondly, James Simpson

November 12, 2014

Recently Alice H. wrote to me about an antique photo album she purchased many years ago.

I have a very old photoalbum that I purchased at an antique store many
years ago & have been looking for a place to send it. if you would like to have them just send me an address
& they will be yours.. I hate to see them waste away.

Alice
went on to add that she bought the album many years ago in Glendale
Arizona but that no one in the store knew anything about where they came
from originally. The photos are from Switzerland with a few from
Germany and none of the individuals are identified by name.

I
plan to scan and publish the photos on Lost Faces in hopes someone
might recognize an ancestor. All the photos are CDVs (Cartes de Visite)
and appear to be from 1860s-1880s.

CDV Chimney Sweeps

Here is one that really interested me. It appears to be a photo of three Chimney Sweeps. Note their ladder and brooms and traditional Chimney Sweep top hats. All of them are wearing small shovels used to rake out ashes. I do not know if these shovels on their lapels are an insignia or actual working tools.

November 11, 2014

War is a horrific event. Terrible things happen and young men and women die. The following photos and links to two sites with more photos may be disturbing to some readers. But they show the reality of war.

The following photos are of Civil War soldiers who were grievously injured and whose wounds and hasty operations left them in a bad way. We can only imagine how difficult life must have been for many of them after returning home.There are dozens of photographs, some very disturbing, all of them distressing, on the Flickr photostream of National Museum of Health & Medicine

I believe we need to view these photos to remember what horrors war can bestow and to honour all soldiers for their bravery.

Adolphus D. Campbell National Museum of Health and Medicine

Contributed Photograph 1331

CAMPBELL, ADOLPHUS D. EXCISIONS OF BONES OF FOREARM. (VERSO)

LT Company F 45th PENNSYLVANIA Battle of PETERSBURG, VA 30 JULY 1864

Contributed by HUDSON, DR. E.D. 1876Photograph by T.G. DIMMERS

Cpt. David D. Cole National Museum of Health and Medicine

Cpt. David D. Cole, National Museum of Health and Medicine

Disarticulated of the knee joint. Cpl. David D. Cole, Co. A, 2nd
New York Cavalry. Wounded 3 April 1865 at the Battle of Amelia Courthouse. Treated by Dr. George M. McGill. Photographed by H.
Hirschinger, 388 Bowery, New York. Contributed by E.D. Hudson.

November 10, 2014

Of course you knew the answer but did you know how much fun historic newspapers are and what great stories you can find about an ancestor? Sometimes you find an obituary or a bankruptcy notice. Other times you find a lurid story of death and deceit.

Leamington Spa Courier - Friday 17 March 1905

As
genealogists we love those exciting bits of news, so much so that I
often think we lose sight of the humanity attached to the story. I try
hard not to forget about the sorrow, the pain and yes the joy
experienced by the ancestors I read about in newspapers. But it is easy
to forget they were just like us and felt the same emotions we do. Yesterday
I found a newspaper article from 1905 about the death of a friend's
ancestor. I was pretty excited because the headline was "FATAL FALL" and the very first sentence began with

A murder! Wow. Who doesn't want an ancestor who was murdered? Or better yet, was a murderer? As I read on, my initial reaction of excitement changed to disappointment. It turns out that Frederick, 84 years old, was arguing with Richard, a much younger man. When Frederick raised his crutch to threaten Richard, Richard pushed him away and Frederick fell. And that was it. The verdict was that Frederick died of a heart attack, no doubt brought on by the excitement and commotion of the argument. After a trial Richard was found not guilty of murder or manslaughter. And thus what I hoped was a lurid story was simply a story of two men arguing and a sad accident leading to the death of one of them. I hadn't given one thought to Frederick's daughter who was in the house at the time. What would her reaction have been to the sounds of the argument and the sight of her father lying dead on the sofa? And what about Richard Booker? How did he feel? According to the newspaper story he was quite distraught over what had happened. What other family did Frederick leave behind? How were they affected by his death? These are the questions I try to ask myself when I find a newspaper story about an ancestor. It is too easy to get caught up in the "the more lurid the better!" mentality of genealogy research. I suspect that our fascination with the lurid, the dramatic and the unusual is due to the very nature of genealogy research. It's essentially a dry study - full of names and dates and a few essential facts but with no real substance. Rarely do we get a sense of the person behind the name attached to birth, marriage and death dates. Were they a good person or a nasty bit of goods? Would we like them? It's not easy to learn the character and personality of an ancestor from the ordinary events of life. So finding a newspaper article with something exciting and out of the ordinary is a way of not only putting meat on those bones but also of perking us up and bringing some excitement to what otherwise can feel at times like drudgery. Don't get me wrong - I love researching my ancestors! I have been hooked since I was 14 years old. I love the thrill of the hunt, the excitement of the chase and the joy at finding one tiny little tidbit of information. But let's face it, it can get tedious looking at frame after frame or page after page or hunting for days, weeks, months and years for one fact.

But I do think we need to remember that our ancestors lived, laughed, cried and loved just as we do. So the next time you find an exciting and dramatic event in your ancestor's life, take a minute to reflect on how it affected that person and everyone who loved them.

And if you aren't subscribed to any historic Newspaper sites you might want to think about asking for a subscription to one for Christmas. You never know what you might find.

November 9, 2014

A Facebook friend recently posted her top 10 Genealogy Mysteries. They aren't brick walls because there is probably an answer somewhere, just waiting to be found.

I
thought this was a great idea and I am following suit with my Top 10
Genealogy Mysteries. Of course any help or suggestions for further
research are welcome. You can read my other Genealogy Mysteries at Top 10 Genealogy Mysteries

Here is my Number 4 of 10 Genealogy Mysteries:

Jacob Peer ca 1728/38 - 1810/15

Jacob Peer, sometimes recorded as Pear, the
immigrant ancestor to Ontario, was living in Newton Township. Sussex County New
Jersey in 1774. Jacob married Ann or Anna (surname not known) sometime before 1760. At least two of his children were married in Frankford Township
Sussex County New Jersey in 1782 and 1787 but Jacob has not been found prior to
this 1774 date.

Timeline of Jacob & Anna Peer in New Jersey before they settled in Ontario Canada

1793 June Tax Lists,
NewTown, New Jersey - Philip Pear (It is almost certain that Jacob Sr. was with
his son Philip at this time. Note their entry into Ontario from New Jersey
together in June 1796)

14 Feb. 1794: Petition with Jacob Pear’s signature, 14 Feb 1794, to the Court of
Commen Pleas from inhabitants of Sussex County recommending that six surveyors
be appointed to Meet at the House of Jacob Pear in Newtown to Relay or lay a
Road from the Main Road leading from Newtown to Decker town acrost by Said
Pears to a certian Road leading from Thomas Armstrongs to the Bigg Spring.

Where was Jacob before 1774? Who were his parents? His children's names were Levi, John, Edward, Philip, Phoebe, Mercy/Marci, Jacob Jr. & Stephen. Perhaps his two first-born sons were named in honour of his father and his wife Anna's father? Could his two daughters be in honour of their grandmothers? If so, I might theorize that Jacob's parents could have been

New!

Death Finds a Way: A Janie Riley Mystery by Lorine McGinnis SchulzeJanie Riley is an avid genealogist with a habit of stumbling on to dead bodies. She and her husband head to Salt Lake City Utah to research Janie's elusive 4th great-grandmother. But her search into the past leads her to a dark secret. Can she solve the mysteries of the past and the present before disaster strikes?

I'm an incurable collector of
antiques, an avid genealogist and a messy but creative cook! I blog, i write history and genealogy books. My main genealogy website is Olive Tree Genealogy http://olivetreegenealogy.com/

Lorine is the author of many published genealogical and historical
articles and books available at
http://LorineSchulze.com